Long-lasting, No-chip Nail Polishes

Gel vs. Shellac – What’s the difference?

Confused about gel versus Shellac nail polishes? Cured versus uncured? Getting a manicure can be a tricky thing these days especially when salons and estheticians sometimes use these terms interchangeably. 

The bottoms line is that Shellac is different from gel polishes, even though many – including those in the industry who should know better – use “gel” as a catch-all for all soak-off gel-based polishes. Both have UV photo-initiators in them, both require curing under a UV or LED lamp to set each layer and both will give you high-shine, chip-free colour for at least two weeks.

As for the “gel-imitators” or uncured long-lasting nail polishes, these are the latest hybrids to come out. They’re a mix between the soak-off gel polishes and regular polishes. They last longer than regular polishes, but not quite as long as soak-off gel polishes. Their benefits are that they can be applied and removed easily at home using normal nail polish remover and they won’t damage your nails.

Regardless of which polish you choose, never pick or peel the colour off your nails as you’re basically ripping of a protective layer of your nail bed.

To find out more about what makes each kind of polish different and figure out which is best for you, keep reading.

CND Shellac

CND Shellac is the original long-wear nail polish. Technically it’s not a gel polish at all because it doesn’t contain enough gel components. This may be the reason why it’s the easiest of all soak-off gel polishes to remove.

Claims: 14+ days of mirror-shine, chip-free wear. Zero dry time and no damage to nails.

Process: Base coat, colour coat, top coat, with curing under the UV lamp between each layer. Immediately after curing, nails are completely dry. There is no surface filing during application or removal so the nail bed is undamaged. 30-minute service time for basic Shellac manicure. It’s “3-free” – no formaldehyde, toluene or DBP. Available only in salons.

Colours: 74 colours with new colour launches each season. Colours may be layered and additives are available to create ombre effects.

Removal: 8 minutes either at the salon or at home using CND Shellac removal wraps.

Cost: $25-45 for manicure, $40-$60 for pedicure depending on the salon.

The bottom line: This is my favourite long-last manicure. It routinely lasts up to three weeks without chipping and the damage to nails is minimal. Nails do get quite dry from this process so oil liberally immediately afterwards.

Gel Polish

There are various brands that produce gel colours such as OPI‘s GelColor, Gelish, Gelax and Gelous. OPI is probably the most widely known of this type of gel polish, which is great if you already have your favourite OPI colours and can’t give them up.

Claim: 14+ days of mirror-shine, chip-free wear. Zero dry time.

Process: Base coat, colour coat, top coat, with curing under the LED lamp between each layer. Immediately after curing, nails are completely dry. Nails will require a light filing to rough up the surface. Application can be done in salons or at home with kits (you’ll need to purchase the special LED lamp for curing).

Colours: Gel colours definitely outnumber Shellac colours.

Removal: 15-25 minutes at the salon or at home using special removal wrap pads with special polish remover. If you go to a salon, specify you have gel polish on. If you mistakenly tell them it’s Shellac, they won’t soak the nails long enough for a clean removal.

Cost: $25-45 for manicure, $40-$60 for pedicure depending on the salon.

The bottom line: The colour selection can’t be beat and the option of using LED light (versus UV light) is great if you’re worried about UVB rays. And for those with a steady hand, there are kits available that allow you to do this entire process at home. After removal, expect nails to look a little gritty and rough so baby your nails and cuticles for the next week.

Vinylux

Vinylux nail polish is is Shellac’s little sister. While it doesn’t require curing under a UV lamp, the topcoat has UV-reactive co-polymers that utilize natural UV light to form cross-links, hardening more and more with exposure to incidental UV light.

Claim: One week of durable high-shine colour without curing and easy removal.

Process: Two coats of colour, then a top coat (no base coat required). Dries in 8-9 minutes and will continue to harden throughout the week.

Colours: 76 colours, 60 of which match Shellac so you can do at-home touch-ups when necessary (not from chips, but from grow-out at the base).

Removal: Removes easily with an acetone-based remover, just like regular nail polish. Absolutely no damage to the nail bed, at least no more than what you’d experience from regular polish.

Cost: Salon manicures range from $20-$35, depending on location. Individual bottles of VINYLUX Weekly Polish Color Coat and Weekly Top Coat are $11.90 each.

The bottom line: It’s not nearly as tough as Shellac and if you want it to last a week without chipping, you’ll need to be really careful in the first few days. I normally get 4-5 days before it starts to look rough. But it definitely does wear better than regular polish.

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel

Claim: Up to 14 days of colour and shine without curing and easy removal.

Process: Two coats of colour, then top coat (no base coat required). Dries in 15-20 minutes and will continue to harden as you wear it. Tip: do your manicure during the day and give your hands some direct light to help kick start the curing process.

Colours: 47 colours

Removal: Removes easily with an acetone-based remover, just like regular nail polish. Absolutely no damage to the nail bed, at least no more than what you’d experience from regular polish.

Cost: $10.95, available at London Drugs and other select drug stores.

The bottom line: While it’s really nice to have a drugstore option, this doesn’t wear as well as Vinylux, although it is better than regular polish. I got two days of wear before the first chip and after that things went downhill very, very quickly.